Linval Thompson reading about Linval Thompson in Full
Watts #3

Linval Thompson, Well Wicked

by Steve Milne
from Full Watts V1#3

Look up wicked in the dictionary and you'll find Linval Thompson's
picture. Well maybe not yet but if the folks at Webster's ever
hear Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread (Munich), the recently issued
collection of Thompson's productions, it's a sure bet his photo
will appear in future editions. The distinctly heavy quality of
Thompson's productions, for himself and other artists, defined
the roots dancehall sound of the late '70s/early '80s and was
immediately emulated by Henry "Junjo" Laws and others.

Shortly after his emergence as a singer in the mid-70s, Thompson
established his own label and
began producing. It didn't take long for him to find his sound.
In an attempt to realize what he heard in his head, Thompson put
together the lethal combination of the Roots Radics, Channel One,
Scientist and the hardest deejays and most soulful singers raming
the dancehalls of JA. That massive sound, epitomized by tracks
like "Poor Man Style" by Barrington Levy, "A Message"
by Freddie McKay, "We Must Unite" by the Viceroys, "Follow
Fashion" by Sammy Dread, "Terrorists in the City"
by Eek A Mouse and "Six Babylon" by Linval himself,
was wildly popular wherever people danced to reggae, whether in
Jamaica, England, the U.S. or Japan and it has aged remarkably
well. In fact, Thompson's productions sound as fresh and vibrant
as the day they were recorded. And as a singer, Thompson's deceptively
sweet voice cut through the thick Roots Radics/Scientist mix like
a knife. He set the mold for other youthman "ghetto"
singers that followed such as Barrington Levy and Triston Palmer.
Make no mistake, Thompson created a dread-full vibe which reverberates
just as intense today as it did nearly 20 years ago. When you
see the name Linval Thompson on a record or CD, it means this
session is wicked.

The release of Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread, part of the Austin-based
Munich Record label's Majestic Reggae series, may have astounded
some longtime reggae collectors. Yes, Thompson contributed a great
deal to reggae, but his hit making days as a producer are 15 years
in the past and as a singer he is not as well known as some of
the artists who attained worldwide success with his help such
as Freddie McGregor, Eek A Mouse and Scientist. Even during the
height of his singing career in the early '80s, there were no
big American tours that would have broadened Thompson's name recognition
and audience. Add to that a relatively dormant career in the music
business since the mid-80s (Thompson has been managing a real
estate business in Stony Hill, outside Kingston) and you have
an artist lauded by knowledgeable reggae-philes and practically
unknown by the rest. Just by releasing Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread
Munich corroborates the veneration felt by Thompson fans. The
handsomely packaged collection with liner notes by Steve Barrow
assembles some of Thompson's most crucial productions including
previously unreleased and hard to find tracks. It's an exciting
compilation that has sparked Thompson's resurgence in the music
business.

A teen prodigy, Thompson initially wrote music as a natural form
of artistic expression. "I've been writing very early and
I've been making records since I was going to high school. Maybe
about 12 or 13 I start to write but I never really tink dat it
was somethin' I can really come and record. I jus' write it. From
dere, all my hits, I write everything. I jus' keep on writing,
writing. Everyting was conscious."

Much of Thompson's early musical activity actually took place
in the Big Apple. The Kingston native moved to Queens, New York
to be with his mother when he was about 15 years old. He soon
met up with another transplanted Jamaican youth who would go on
to prominance in the music world. "I was singing with a band
in America. Bunny Ruggs, he also was dere. He grow up also in
America. So we all was dere in a band singin'. Den we come back
to Jamaica and record. But we used to record in America also.
My firs' song I did in America name 'There is No Other Woman in
This World.' I produce it. I don't think you can find a copy of
it right now."

By the time he returned to Jamaica around 1974/'75 a buzz had
already developed about Thompson in the Kingston music scene and
several producers decided to give the youth a shot beginning with
Phil Pratt. "Some people from America, some guys dem was
putting me against Dennis Brown, saying I 'ave a sound like Dennis
Brown. So de news been going around. And den I go and make two
songs. 'Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread' I make dat firs' for a guy
name Phil Pratt and den I sing it back for myself."

Unfortunately Thompson's work with Pratt was shelved but another
session followed soon afterward with Lee "Scratch" Perry
that proved more fruitful. "I had been dere at (Perry's)
studio and ask him if he could record me and he said 'yes, come
in.' De firs' song dat I sing for Lee Perry is a song name 'Kung
Fu Fighting.'" Not to be confused with the Carl Douglas song
of the same name, "Kung Fu Fighting" was an original
composition by Thompson that exploited the martial arts craze
sweeping the island. Still, with no major hit under his belt,
Thompson was just another youthman hanging out at various studios
hoping for a chance to record.

It was singing sensation Johnny Clarke, one of the Jamaica's biggest
stars in the mid-70s, who helped establish Thompson's breakout
session. Clarke, who recorded almost exlusively for producer Bunny
"Striker" Lee, brought Thompson around with him to King
Tubby's facility. "Johnny Clarke he was my friend. We used
to live on de same street. He was de singer who was really singin'
in my time, makin' a lot of hits. I kinda know him so we start
to spar together and from dere I been to King Tubby's studio in
Waterhouse. Everyday I been dere waan to make a song and den one
day come, dey say 'go an' sing.' So I sing de firs' song "Don't
Cut Off Your Dreadlocks" and dat was a very big hit. Firs'
song I sing for Bunny Lee."

Thompson's first recordings for Lee were issued on a 1975 album
titled Don't Cut Off Your Dreadlocks (now available as Cool Down
(Abraham/Clocktower). The collection is a classic slice of mid-70s
dancehall roots featuring The Agrovators band (Tony Chin, Chinna
Smith, Santa Davis, etc.,.). The following year Thompson released
his first self-produced album, the quintessential I Love Marijuana
(Trojan). The title track was originally issued as a single on
Thompson's newly established Thompson Sound label. "I produce
a song name 'I Love Mariguana.' It was a hit in England."
The single also lists Henry "Junjo" Laws as the co-producer/arranger.
"(Junjo) was a friend of mine. I'm de one who really bring
him in de producing business and den he start to record Barrington
Levy."

For the most part, Thompson's sessions started with a collection
of self-penned songs that were arranged in the studio with the
musicians. "We sing first and den when we get de vibes of
de riddim we say 'okay, we're gonna stick to dis style.' I used
to put in on my cassette at home before I really go to de studio
so I kinda know what kinda sound I really looking for."

Thompson split his time between producing other artists and recording
his own material which ranged from militant shots like "Six
Babylon" ("Dat time police used to really attack de
dreadlocks dem in Kingston, all over in Jamaica. You 'ave a spliff
a smoke, police come lock you up, beat you up. So dat was really
our experience. We jus' write dat song") to lovers music
like "Look How Me Sexy" ("Dat song was really two
of us write it. Junjo Laws write it and den I finish it. He was
writin' about his girl. An' den he called me to put on my voice
on it. So I write de rest of lyrics. Two of us really compose
dat song and put it together").

By the early '80s it appeared Thompson's outside production duties
were eclipsing his own solo career. He produced albums by Freddie
McGregor (Big Ship), The Meditations (No More Friend), Eek A Mouse
(The Mouse and The Man), Scientist (Encounters Pac-Man), The Viceroys
(We Must Unite) and Barrington Levy (Poor Man Style). His signature
production style, characterized by hard riddims presented in a
heavy, dub-like mix, was the top ranking sound in reggae. Thompson's
sound, along with the records Junjo Laws was producing, was the
pinnacle of deep, dancehall roots, never to be surpassed by another
producer's sound. The next stage for dancehall reggae, in fact,
was a 360-degree turn away from Thompson's thick bedrock sound
to the sprightly, feeble computer riddims.

Thompson employed the Roots Radics for his productions, the only
musicians fit for the job. "Everybody did 'ave dere own band
making songs for dem like you 'ave The Aggrovators and The Revolutionaries.
We kinda tried to make our own band. So we picked out musicians
and we picked like Steelie, Flabba Holt, Santa and some more guys
like Gladdy. We used to 'ave a mixture of musicians: Flabba on
bass, Style on drums, Santa on drums, Steelie on piano, Bingy
Bunny on guitar. And we kinda get a sound. Everybody was crazy
about dat sound in London."

Another constant in Thompson's productions was location of the
sessions: Channel One. "Dat was de right studio for de roots
dancehall style sound. We used to make de riddim at Channel One
and den we take back de riddim track over to King Tubby's and
mix it at King Tubby's so we kinda get a sound. Me and Junjo Laws,
we kinda conquer dat sound. And dat's a sound de are crazing about
right now. Every echo slap, only King Tubby's could give you dat
mix with Scientist."

Greensleeves Records recently reissued two of Thompson's early
'80s album on one CD: the essential Look How Me Sexy/Baby Father.
One of the hardest tracks on the double album is the caustic "I
Spy." "'I Spy' was a song dat people really used to
watch you, everyting you do. Nobody mind dem own business. So
is like we write a song about dem. You call dem 'I Spy' ca' dem
watch everyting you do. Jah give me de power to write an' anyting
me write it's someting me really go through. I only write truths
and rights and when me smoke up de mariguana it give me a vibes,
a powerful vibes." Another highlight is "Baby Mother"
and the follow up, "Baby Father," both inspired by Thompson's
domestic happenings. "In dat time when I make dat 'Baby Mother'
song I tink I 'ave two girls pregnant at the same time. So dat
kinda give me a vibes to write dat song like dat. Y'know you 'ave
two version. You 'ave 'Baby Father' an' you 'ave 'Baby Mother.'"

Munich's Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread compilation is a welcome addition
to Thompson's rich discography. Choice selections include Wayne
Wade's "Round The World" and Welton Irie's "Come
We Just A Come." The CD's title comes from one of Thompson's
most vital works, a song that first appeard on the Six Babylon
(Clocktower) album. "Dat was power from Jah. Jah Jah is God
an' he's powerful. He's de Father. So he's dreader than dread.
Nothin' can 'ave de power like God, y'know wah mean. And God is
Jah. So Jah Jah dreader than dread. If you doin' bad ting, what
you gonna do when de father arrive in dis time?"

The renewed interest in Thompson's style of dancehall reggae is
satisfying to the singer/producer and substantiate's his hesitancy
toward computer riddims. Making reggae records 15 years ago involved
much more creativity. "Jus' de vibes in us to do dat experimentation.
Make de tracks at Channel One an' go to Tubby's and mix it. In
de '70s and '80s we are de artists who really used to kinda run
de dancehall." Those were exciting times in Thompson's career
and he's ready to run things again with a series of newly issued
material and re-releases. "I'm plannin' to go an' do some
recording with myself. I mostly do some remix of my songs dem
right now. Ca' right now I'm in de studio doin' a mix with some
Johnny Osbourne song. I'm tryin' to do some mixin' myself, some
re-release, singles and albums. You will see more of my production
releasin' on de '70s an' 80s, re-release an' also what never been
release."

Except for the superb Sly & Robbie produced album Starlight
(Mango) from 1988 and a string of singles through the '90s, (his
most recent being "Leggo The Violence" on the Cat Paw
riddim released as a 7" on the Jammy$ label) Thompson's presence
in reggae has been minimal. The computer riddims that ruled dancehall
did not meet with his approval. Today, dancehall needs a shot
in the arm and Thompson could be just the one to administer it.
"To make it strong you need somethin' like
dat style of artist an' style of soun' on de riddim tracks to
really move back in de dancehall right now. Ca' it's like de dancehall
kinda quiet so you need somethin' like my style of riddim tracks
an' de singers dem to really kinda run de dancehall right now.
So dat style of singers, dat's why I pick dose style. Live drum
an' bass. Dat's de bes'. Nothin' can beat dat. I believe in dat."